First impressions are everything, and when we skimmed Bruce Finley’s latest take-down of mining, it appeared at first blush the Discovery Channel’s reality show “Gold Rush” didn’t have a mining permit and was busted by environmental regulators.
But as always, there’s more to the story.
Here’s Bruce’s lede:
A Colorado company linked to the Discovery Channel’s popular reality television show “Gold Rush” is facing scrutiny by state regulators for allegedly mining without a permit at a gravel pit near Fairplay along headwaters of the South Platte River.
The mining permit has been in place for the mine since 1991, but what the company called High Speed near Fairplay did, was clear an additional two acres near the pit.
What needs to happen is for the reclamation permit to be extended an additional two acres.
The company was certainly remiss in not doing so before the clearing work began and rightfully faces a fine. And what these “environmental regulators,” also known as the Colorado Department of Natural Resources Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety are recommending, is that High Speed extend the reclamation permit to cover those 2.4 acres.
They weren’t operating without a mining permit, but outside of a reclamation permit.
